Is it safe to eat Thames caught fish from a boat?

[Harry Hogwash]

I see increasing number of 'East European'fisherman around Abingdon and other Thames areas.
Some are even dangerously carrying their unfolded rods now into local shops with them.
Thing is the fish they catch....are they good to eat?
The Thames is surely full of diesel pollution and even dog lichen disease I would never eat fish caught in The Thames
but I fear some of these fish might be ending up on restaurant tables as a way of cutting costs?
Actually though Ive seen many fishing in the most isolated and unlikely places Ive never seen one reel in a fish.
I suspect they trample down bankside vegetation to get to the water as I have seen areas flattened by such damage.
I have also seen remains of encampments in Oxford and places where some people have obviously been slepping rough
in summer.
This whole thing seems to be out of control at the present time.
Perhaps until some more serious crime is committed?

 

[Poignard]

Don't tell him pike.

 

[Antony Collis]

My friend used to get Tomatoes from work. The biggest juiciest tomatoes you'd ever seen.

He worked in a sewage plant. . :disgust:

I expect its the same thing. They are just fish and not actually swimming in poison. Plus all that water washes out into the estuary where boats are catching Skate ect..

 

[rotrax]

I see increasing number of 'East European'fisherman around Abingdon and other Thames areas.
Some are even dangerously carrying their unfolded rods now into local shops with them.
Thing is the fish they catch....are they good to eat?
The Thames is surely full of diesel pollution and even dog lichen disease I would never eat fish caught in The Thames
but I fear some of these fish might be ending up on restaurant tables as a way of cutting costs?
Actually though Ive seen many fishing in the most isolated and unlikely places Ive never seen one reel in a fish.
I suspect they trample down bankside vegetation to get to the water as I have seen areas flattened by such damage.
I have also seen remains of encampments in Oxford and places where some people have obviously been slepping rough
in summer.
This whole thing seems to be out of control at the present time.
Perhaps until some more serious crime is committed?

I have caught large fish in the Thames-and eaten some of them.

A Perch of around a pound fried in butter is delicious.

From the Weirpool at Benson I have landed several pike of over 20lbs, and from the adjacent Millpool-fishing there is VERY private and by invitation only-a netfull of big Bream. Eight fish for a total of 68lbs. First Mate hooked and lost a huge Perch there-it was as big as a dustbin lid. It spat the hook and bait out after rolling on the surface. It took a pike lure which was too big for a good hookup.

One of my motorbike racing mates-he was killed last year riding in a Grasstrack-told me the biggest Carp he ever saw was just above Benson Weir. He estimated the weight at 50lbs plus.

He was not prone to exageration......................

For your information Harry, the Thames is generally cleaner than it has been in the last 200 years. Biggest problems are farmland fertiliser run off and leaks from Sewage Plants. Industrial pollution is quite small. Water abstraction is always a problem, some, if not most, illegal.

 

[Old Crusty]

I see increasing number of 'East European'fisherman around Abingdon and other Thames areas.
Some are even dangerously carrying their unfolded rods now into local shops with them.
Thing is the fish they catch....are they good to eat?
The Thames is surely full of diesel pollution and even dog lichen disease I would never eat fish caught in The Thames
but I fear some of these fish might be ending up on restaurant tables as a way of cutting costs?
Actually though Ive seen many fishing in the most isolated and unlikely places Ive never seen one reel in a fish.
I suspect they trample down bankside vegetation to get to the water as I have seen areas flattened by such damage.
I have also seen remains of encampments in Oxford and places where some people have obviously been slepping rough
in summer.
This whole thing seems to be out of control at the present time.
Perhaps until some more serious crime is committed?

Fishing on the Thames is unregulated save for the need to buy a licence so anglers can fish from anywhere on the towpath bank.

The Eastern Europeans favour the carp and mince their catch, bones included, to a fine paste then make it into fish cakes.

 

[mersey]

I see increasing number of 'East European'fisherman around Abingdon and other Thames areas.
Some are even dangerously carrying their unfolded rods now into local shops with them.
Thing is the fish they catch....are they good to eat?

You've worked it out Harry, just join the dots.. My friend Krzysztof Wozniacki told me that they are magnet fishing to clear out the bottom. Then in their project do-er-uper liveaboard boats, that are moored on the towpath in Abingdon, they will go out daily to drag net for fish, unencumbered by trolleys on the river bed.

You'll be able to hear them pass with the loud music, but watch out for the beer cans chucked on the path, you may struggle to see them with the tall trees blocking out all light.

The produce will be sold to local resturants in Abingdon, Banbury maybe even Henley on occasion, but Krzysztof tells me he wouldn't eat the fish himself, he knows what else goes in the river..

If you don't like it, you can try calling the police river patrol.

 

[Harry Hogwash]

There is no river patrol.
Isnt that private lake up at Frilford or somewhere once a Roman sacred site?
Couldn't your friends clean out recycled plastic or something instead?

 

[oldgit]

Probably perfectly safe to eat, shame virtually all freshwater fish taste of ,well nothing really, unless highly seasoned.
Most rivers now are much cleaner due to EA/EU regulations regards water quality.
The increasing numbers of trout/salmon and other migratory fish to be found in both Thames and Medway reflect this.
The Medway, at least , no longer resembles The Ankh.

 

[AuntyRinum]

I have caught large fish in the Thames-and eaten some of them.

A Perch of around a pound fried in butter is delicious.

From the Weirpool at Benson I have landed several pike of over 20lbs, and from the adjacent Millpool-fishing there is VERY private and by invitation only-a netfull of big Bream. Eight fish for a total of 68lbs. First Mate hooked and lost a huge Perch there-it was as big as a dustbin lid. It spat the hook and bait out after rolling on the surface. It took a pike lure which was too big for a good hookup.

One of my motorbike racing mates-he was killed last year riding in a Grasstrack-told me the biggest Carp he ever saw was just above Benson Weir. He estimated the weight at 50lbs plus.

He was not prone to exageration......................

For your information Harry, the Thames is generally cleaner than it has been in the last 200 years. Biggest problems are farmland fertiliser run off and leaks from Sewage Plants. Industrial pollution is quite small. Water abstraction is always a problem, some, if not most, illegal.

A perch as big as a dustbin lid? That would have been some fish! The Thames record is only just over 6 pounds.

 

[rotrax]

A perch as big as a dustbin lid? That would have been some fish! The Thames record is only just over 6 pounds.

Perch are big for their weight. It was a very deep fish, splendidly marked with its vertical black bars and red fins. I am sure it would have been a record-a National record, not just a Thames record.

I fished for it for years afterwards, using lures and livebait.

All I caught were small to medium pike!

You cannot lose what you never had-the late Peter Stone of Oxford told me that 40 years ago. Sage advice.